Side saddles are shell carriers that are semi-permanently attached to a receiver of a firearm to provide quick and easy access to extra ammunition, such as lethal or non-lethal munitions. These carriers are typically commercially available in configurations having four or six shell openings for receiving munitions. Because even “high-capacity” shotguns can typically only hold six to eight shells in their internal tube magazines, a wearer only has immediate access to approximately fourteen rounds of ammunition. For military and law enforcement purposes, this may not be enough, considering many firearms on the market can hold thirty rounds or more.
There are multiple ways of carrying extra shotgun shells and different types of receiver mounted shotgun shell carriers available. Some methods for carrying individual shotgun shells include attaching the ammunition to a sling or a vest, typically though the use of elastic loops. However, this can add extra weight to a wearer, causing the overall weight of the sling or vest to be unbalanced in certain areas. This arrangement also takes a wearer more time to load a shotgun because the wearer has to retrieve ammunition from these unbalanced areas. Because the side saddle is one of the fastest areas to load from in an emergency, it would be best to refill the side saddle using shells carried on a sling or vest when time and opportunity allow. This is still very time-consuming for the wearer, and the wearer may not have the time or opportunity to safely do this.
Typical rigid, receiver mounted carriers, usually made from material such as plastic or metal, can comprise a rubber (or “rubber like”) material which allows for a friction retention between the material and the shotgun shells to keep them in place. However, this rubber or rubber-like material has several disadvantages. For instance, it can wear out, causing inconsistent and unreliable shell retention. Additionally, the rubber materials that are used can be affected by temperature changes, which can cause inconsistent and unreliable shell retention. Some plastic carriers are made of a softer, flexible plastic. This can cause the slots for the shells in the carrier to flex open to allow the insertion of shotgun shells, and then securely retract around the shells, thereby providing retention of the shells. The properties that allow this plastic to flex also detract from its impact strength, making it far less durable. Another disadvantage with these types of shotgun shell carriers is that once the wearer reloads the shotgun with the shells in the carrier, there are no other good options for carrying and accessing ammunition. The shell carrier is then empty.
Another type of receiver-mounted shell carrier comprises elastic and a hook-loop material. Typically, an adhesive backed section of loop material is applied to the shotgun's receiver. The shell carrier is made of elastic loops, into which the shotgun shells are received, with a hook material on one side of the carrier. The loop portion typically comprises an adhesive to adhere to the shotgun receiver. The carrier has elastic loops into which the shotgun shells are inserted, and the loops are sewn onto hook material. The shell carrier is attached to the shotgun by securing the two pieces of hook and loop material together. This is advantageous because it allows the wearer to carry multiple shell carriers on a vest or belt. After the shotgun is reloaded and the carrier mounted to the shotgun is empty, the wearer can easily tear off the elastic/hook material and install a new fully loaded carrier. This allows the wearer to have access to more ammunition on the side of the shotgun. However, this type of carrier is disadvantageous because the hook/loop material and elastic material can wear out. The adhesive backing of the loop material may deteriorate in high temperatures or it may become detached from repetitive use. If a used shell carrier is dropped in dirt or mud, the hook material could become clogged and not be properly secured to the loop material/shotgun receiver. The elastic can wear out and give inconsistent retention of the shotgun shells. In addition, the carrier could be placed on the receiver in inconsistent locations or angles, thereby causing inconsistency in the positioning of the extra ammunition.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device that can address these problems with existing side saddle shotgun carriers, thereby providing an advantage for a wearer for loading and re-loading ammunition. The device described herein provides an advantage for wearers by providing an efficient and easy method of accessing ammunition while operating a firearm. A device is provided herein which allows a user to have greater speed, efficiency, and convenience, without the drawback of a “one and done” re-load device. While traditional side saddles require tools to remove them from a firearm device, the device disclosed herein provides a quick-disconnect design to allow quick removal of an empty side saddle, after the side saddle has been re-loaded. This design is beneficial because extra fully loaded side saddles can be conveniently carried on a duty belt and instantly attached to a firearm, such as a shotgun, for example, thereby enabling the shotgun to be reloaded quickly, easily, and safely.